


The Gathering Storm

by plaidchesters



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: more background death eaters as well, plus some oc professors and various other students, those chars are just the pov's we'll see
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-19
Updated: 2015-03-29
Packaged: 2018-03-18 16:23:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3576006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/plaidchesters/pseuds/plaidchesters
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of moments pulled from the minds of Marauders and Co.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> yes, the title is a reference to the anticipated marauders fanfilm. no, i am not connected to it. no, this will not be taking scenes or characterization from the talented writers and cast and crew behind the already wonderful film. oh, final comment -- thanks for reading!

Let it be known that this war was a long time coming.

With the escalating violence, sheer aggression, and mindless hatred towards those of non-magic background, it was all to be expected. For a while it was simply people believing witches and wizards should govern these people. Sure, there was an occasional prank intended to mess with the muggles, but they were generally harmless (at least that's what the Ministry wanted you to believe). 

In reality, the Ministers and their closest circles have worked hard to cover up the darker incidents caused by extremists in the wizarding community. 

In the early 1970s, though, war tensions reached an all-time high as a particularly powerful dark wizard made himself known. His followers began doing his dirty work; burning down muggle buildings, torturing 'mudbloods', rounding up recruits to join him and his followers. He goes by Lord Voldemort, but it would eventually be seen that he had true power and fear over this 'community' when he was more commonly known as He Who Must Not Be Named. 

Though that's not the point of this tale. This isn't entirely a story of a man causing terror -- it's a story of love. Of loss, of growth, of family and friends. This story is a lot of things. But, regrettably, many of these people don't receive the happy ending you're wishing for. The screen doesn't fade to black with their happy faces come graduation day. It won't read 'the end' come a long-awaited marriage. In fact, it doesn't even come to an end when many of them are dead. This is their lives, and real life isn’t a movie — it’s messy. You can’t write out the gritty little details. You can’t predict how things will turn out because no one can see the future. Okay, perhaps a rare few witches and wizards can, but generally no one can anticipate the plot twist coming your way. 

Most evidently, it could be said that this is a story of prejudice, of how war can change and reduce people to a fraction of the person they once were. Because war doesn’t make people rise to the occasion; it shows you who is brave enough to fight for a better cause, a proper future. Though is it worth it if no is left to witness it? 

Ultimately, this is a tale of family. Not only your blood, but the one you choose. A story showing how the love of family can’t conquer all, but certainly can prevail death. After all, the love of four boys couldn’t prevent one who was already walking on the edge, whose faith was shattering, from tipping over to the side of skulls and snakes. It can’t stop the brutal massacre of a certain brunette and her kin. It won’t thwart the woman in love with her Lord from torturing two mad wizards into insanity. Simply can’t stop the sheer betrayal that’s to come from friends, from lovers. And never was it intended to overcome the unforgivable words that dropped a courageous man to the ground or the blinding green jet of light that filled a child’s room. But love does prevail, love does keep that remarkable child alive. 

This story isn’t just about the couple you're expecting, though. There’s the stars in the sky and sea, the sun and the moon, the rock crushing under the weight of his doubts, the rebellion of the brave, and the nobility and graciousness of God. There’s an unlimited amount of people involved, and many will remain nameless, but all hold a place of equal importance in the fate of the Dark Lord. 

Yes, this war was a long time coming. But first, these witches and wizards have a story to tell.


	2. The Leap

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AKA: The one where Marlene McKinnon started a fight. Or two. In one day.

\-- September 21, 1976 at approx. 11:51 AM

Lily Evans painted her nails vibrant colors. She would also make it a habit of doing the same to her friends when they were bored, but you could tell a hand was Lily's by the distinct color to it. Fitting, really, for a girl with such vitality.

Mary MacDonald would often shove her wand through a messy bun. She may have been the quieter one of the four, but eyes would certainly fall on her each time her dark wavy hair tumbled down her shoulders. She may not seek your attention, but she was certainly striking when she got it.

Alice Fortescue was always doodling. On her friends' arms, in the margins of her notes and tests; her little drawings were everywhere. A bit of an airy habit for such a formidable blonde, but even the most commanding of personalities have their dreams.

Marlene McKinnon always read the last pages of books before the beginning. She nabbed her friends clothes in the mornings and had a tendency to hex before thinking. She was stunning, but in the way a lightning storm was stunning.

These girls were so drastically different that, had they been anywhere but Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry, they would have been an oddity. How could such clashing personalities be such good friends? Well, it was made obvious enough ten days into their sixth year. That Tuesday had started off as normal as possible at a school filled with magicians -- breakfast in the Great Hall, Transfiguration with Hufflepuff, the weekly (sometimes daily) occurrence of overwhelming sexual tension within two groups of four friends. Not to forget the ongoing battle between Benjy Fenwick and Emma Vanity; they had broken up during the first week of school and the entirety of sixth year (plus a good part of seventh year) was forced to pick a side. If looks could kill, they both would be six feet under.

But by lunch, it was proving to be far from their typical Tuesday.

The blame for the turn of events could be put on several people. Alice Fortescue would prove to be the main one blamed, but she was far from the only troublemaker at hand. Marlene McKinnon and her unauthorized Quidditch practice (which had also occurred on that Tuesday) could also be part of the problem. Nicholas Mulciber and Mikael Avery were definitely two prime suspects. It could be said that James Potter always played his part in every tale of trouble within the sixth year class. But who was truly at fault would never come to light -- there were only six witnesses to that fight and none of them were about to share the real chain of events. For some, it was incriminating. For others, it was embarrassing. For the remaining people, it was out of loyalty to their friends that they didn't spill the metaphorical beans to Professor McGonagall. Everyone played their part, though, so let it be known that it wasn't entirely one person's fault.

The foursome had been late to lunch -- if they hadn't been, it was an easy assumption to make that this wouldn't have happened. "We were simply helping them prepare for the upcoming match with a little scrimmage. An unauthorized and _maybe_ unexpected one. You could argue it was unwelcome, but that's just an opinion. And perhaps they weren't even on their house Quidditch teams, but frankly, our dear Professor Mathis should be thanking us," Marlene continued on as the trio strolled down the corridor, "no one wanted to hear what that fuckwit had to say anyway. He was going on about bloody pureblood supremacy -- a crock of shit, more like it." Once she went off like this, they all knew there was no stopping her. Frustration would only continue to bubble to the surface as she retold the morning's events; Sirius had been fuming when they left Mathis Underwood (the flying instructor's) office as well. Mary seemed to have a calming effect on him when she linked her arm with his, though she was unable to cool down the raging brunette on her other side. Alice didn't even bother trying, so instead they just listened.

"What gives him the fucking right to decide who is lesser than him? Sounded just like that ugly git Mulciber. I'll show him filth --" Marlene cut off when Sirius' hand gripped her wrist, meant to stop her as two other sixth years crossed their paths, less than two feet of space between them. The teen wizard looked smug at her words, despite the insult, and his lackey mimicked the expression.

There's something you should know about Mulciber: he didn't care what you said about him. What mattered was that you were speaking of him in the first place. He truly was a Death Eater in the making. Preaching of the 'Dark Lord's' proper wizard beliefs, how pureblooded families should be leading things, that muggles and muggle-borns should "learn their place." Everyone deserves to have their own opinion and all, but Marlene knew just where he could shove his shitty beliefs.

"Really, Marlene, you think you'd learn." A smirk curled at his lips. "Detention again?" Her fingers twitched in the direction of her wand, but Sirius' fingers wrapped around her wrist restricted her, only irritating her more. "You too, Sirius, though it seems like you've already decided your place." They all knew that was a reference to him leaving his family recently to live with the Potters. To be truthful, Marlene thought it was the smartest bloody decision he had made in his life. Her jaw set as he opened his shoddy mouth yet again. "It's a shame though, you and Alice really have some potential." The way he eyed her made her hands curl into fists, nails shaping moons onto her palms. For the sake of Mary and the other two, she kept herself quiet, despite every instinct screaming otherwise. "Too bad you girls decide to surround yourselves with blood traitors and mudbloods."

The contempt and disgust his tone was drenched in was cut off by a crack. Then shit truly started to hit the fan.

Pain bloomed across Marlene's right hand from where she had nailed Mulciber's face. Five wands had been drawn (the crack, Marlene soon realized, hadn't been from her punch; a hex had come from Alice's wand) and magic was flying. Marlene barely had time to pull her wand from her robes and dodge the affligo hex aimed at her from Avery. Sirius said some jinx she had never heard of and then a duck bloomed from Mikael's wand, a quack blending in with the foreign yet familiar sounds of spells. 

"Castreo!" Was the simple, yet effective, spell coming from Mary. Mulciber managed to sidestep it where the jinx bounced back to Sirius. His eyes widened in shock as he let out a surprised groan, doubling over at the pain in his groin. Avery was growing frustrated as he tried to cast another spell, only for the duck count to round up to five. Some of her anger morphed into amusement, a slight frenetic laugh slipping from Marlene's lips at the sight of the annoyed Slytherin. Whatever that jinx was, she'd really have to learn it.

Hives were blooming on Mulciber's face while horns seemed to appear out of nowhere on Alice's head. Then a spell was being aimed at Mary and Marlene found herself jumping in front of her, attempting to utter a blocking spell, only for it to be a moment too late. The brunette was thrown backwards, the air knocked from her lungs as she fell to the ground.

It felt as though it had been twenty minutes, but as Professor McGonagall came through the corridor, yelling out a spell and halting the chaos, it proved to only have been five.

"What," the older woman began, harsh lines creasing her young face, "in Merlin's name, is going on?" Her gaze washed over the six magicians, both concerned and stern. "Up. Now. To the infirmary. Then you all will meet with me in my office."

As far as who got in trouble, Alice ended up taking blame and, in turn, getting four days of detention. Sirius and Marlene ended up with five Saturday detentions that day, while the remaining three participants were punished with two.

They weren't aware at the time that this was only painting a larger target on their backs and, in hand, Mary and Lily's. Never did Marlene -- or any of them -- expect what was to come from Mulciber in retaliation. It may not have came right away, but it certainly was coming. Another thing to know about Nicholas: hurt him and he'd do the same. Times five hundred. The following several months would only prove to be the most eventful of their six years at Hogwarts. Time and time again the four girls and their marauding male equivalents would prove how and why such different people were such good friends.

The only question was whether their loyalty would be their greatest strength or ultimate downfall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ack, sorry I didn't update sooner! I went out of town for a thespian competition and am currently scheduling some college tours, but I'll be doing my best to update once a week. Anyway, I promise my writing style with this will get more consistent soon, when I have more time to write in-depth. Feel free to inbox me prompts for various memories! So, yeah, expect a good batch of drabbles from sixth year throughout the next few months.


End file.
